around town Art Scene
Beth Winfield Shares
“Secret Gardens”
at the Benicia Plein Air Gallery “Hops grows on vines suspended upwards on strings and as you walk through you feel as though you’re in a magical forest.”
n Jean Purnell
Benicia Plein Air Gallery features “Secret Gardens,” an exhibition of garden landscapes by Beth Winfield that runs through August 28. An award-winning artist, Winfield likes to continually challenge herself by seeking out new and different subject matter for her paintings, including landscapes, still lifes, and figures. “My show is a collection of paintings of unusual gardens that most people don't get to see,” she explains. She painted Lavender Harvest at the Soul Food Farm in Vacaville and Evening in a Hops Garden at a farm along Highway 80. “Hops grows on vines suspended upwards on strings and as you walk through you feel as though you’re in a magical forest.” Winfield also enjoys painting gardens in
24 • Benicia Magazine
New Mexico, the roses and succulents planted in front of an adobe house, or the potted flowers on the stairways. “I love spending time in the southwest, painting and exploring that landscape.” Winfield feels drawn to painting outdoors, where the beauty of nature triggers memories of childhood summers spent outside. Her landscapes are soft, painterly, and impressionistic, infused with light and atmosphere. “I love the fleeting light as it dances across the earth’s surface. Painting at different times of the day dynamically changes a scene. Then add to it varying weather and circumstances, and you've got thousands of opportunities to paint from.” Most of Beth’s works are painted plein air, in small sizes. “I like to finish my works in one session outdoors, otherwise, by reworking it later in the
studio, I’m afraid I may lose that fresh quality of what I saw. Sometimes I will use a smaller study done outdoors as my reference to create a larger painting later.” Winfield joined the Benicia Plein Air Gallery in 2019. She currently splits her residence between Davis and a second home in Santa Fe, where she spends three to four months per year. She grew up in Cincinnati and lived in Scottsdale and Memphis before moving to Davis with her family in 1997. “I first got to know the gallery by participating in one of their “paint-out” competitions. I loved the gallery and the town – its lush green spaces, quaint houses, and waterfront – all picturesque places to paint. I have enjoyed exploring the city, walking up and down First Street, meeting the friendly people here. Unfortunately, COVID has made it harder to connect with people.” Winfield’s love and talent for art were obvious at an early age. As a third grader she drew attention to her ability by spending her recess periods
